Robert it



(No Model.)

R. 1:1. STAPP.

` GAR COUP-LING. No. 417,291. Patented Dec. 17. 1889..

.1.3 4f f: i :m IMMIMO/ E luunmllllilmmm! F 5' IMI/61am? @MA JW UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

ROBERT ll. STAFF, OF VOODIVARD, CHEROKEE O ITLET, INDIAN 'lERRlrl'ORl CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,291, dated December 17', 1889..

Application filed September 19, 1889. Serial No. 324,466. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it. known that I, ROBERT Il. STAP?, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVoodward, in the Cherokee Outlet, Indian Territory, have invented a new and useful Self- Coupling Safety Draw-Bar, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in self-coupling draw-bars in which couplingro arms are used and are attached to a draw-bar in such a manner as to give a straight draft on the draw-bar, and in which solid cast-iron draft-timber lugs are used to obtain uniform and sufficient strength. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the entire drawbar as applied to a car. Figs. 2, 3, and a are different views of the main casting or body of draw-bar; Fig. a plan and elevation of the coupling-arms. Fig. 6 is the right-hand and Fig. 7 the left-hand release'ratchet-cylinders, and Fig. 8 a view of draft-lugs.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The casting A constitutes the main body1 of the draw-bar. The arms B B are the couplingarms, and are fastened in the main body by a regular curved bearing e c in sockets a and b in main casting, and are made secure by bolts c and d. These arms are tapered from the back to front, and are wide near the jaws f, Fig. 5, to maintain uniform strength, and are provided with jaws f f, Figs. 1 and 5, which couple into lugs g and. 7L (see Figs. 1, 2, and on the head ot' the opposite draw-bar, both draw-bars being alike. The socket a is near the top and b is near the bottom, to allow the arms to pass each other in coupling. The lugs g and 7L extend from the top to the bottoni on the sides of draw-bar. There is a groove 'f1 and j, Figs. 3 and t, in the sides of the head of draw-bar, which are wide in front and narrow as they near the lugs g and h, which act as guides for the coupling-arms when coup` ling. The groove fi is near the bottom in casting A, so that the arm that fits in socket a will come directly over it, and the groove j is near the top, so that the arm that works in socket l) will be under groove j to allow the arms to pass one above the other. 'lhere is also a slight groove in the back of lu gs com municating with the grooves i and j, into which the jaws fof the co'iipling-arms B B of opposite draw-bars seat themselves. The sp rings I I are flat steel springs, and are to adj ust the coupling-arms B B when released after being opened for uncoupling the draw-bars or detaching one car from another. The springs are iitted in casting A, back of the sockets a h, in a cavity 7.: in shoulder l., Figs. 1 and 2, and are held secure by a set-screw passing through a hole in the spring and screwed into the casting A. The springs are held in place on arms l5 B by guides m m.

The release-cylinder C, Figs. 1 and 6, is the right-hand, and D, Figs. 1 and 7, is the lefthand release-cylinder. They have a groove o ruiming from the ratchet n once around the cylinder, over and toward the left in C, and over and toward the right in D, in which the release-chains M M, Fig. 1, are wound. The cylinders C and D are fastened on a rod L by a key. The levers q q are to give leverage to revolve the release-cylinders, and are a part of the rod I., bent to right angles. The chains M M are fastened to set-screws on cylinders and to projecting eyes p p on coupling-arms.

To couple the draw-bars, bring them into contact with one another and the pressure on the jaws f f of the coupling-arms against the sides of draw-bar head will spread the arms B B apart, and as they come together the jaws will travel along the groovest and j until the jawsff pass the lugs g and 7L, when the pressure from the springs I I will close the coupling-arms, and they will catch on the lugs g and h when pulled in opposite directions, as in pulling a train.

To release or uncouple the dra\.vbars, raise the levers q and the pawl or dog yr, Figs. 6 and 7, until it comes in contact with the ratchet on release-cylinders. Then let the lever loose, and the pressure from the springs and the weight of chains M M will cause the pawl r to stay up and hold the coupling-arms open. To adj ust the arms for coupling, raise the lever q enough to let the pawl r clear of the teeth on ratchet, and the overbalance on pawls will throw the pawl r down; let the levers g down,

IOO

and the adjListing-springs will close the arms ready for coupling.

To eouple onto any link-and-pin draw-bar, the arnis B B should be opened in the manner as described, and a link and pin used, as in common draw-bars. The link is inserted in the cavity t, Figs. l and i, and a pin through the hole u, Fig. l. The coupling-arms being' open, the jaws f f will pass on each side of the draw-bar and draft-tiinbers to allow the heads of draw-bars to come in contact with one another.

The draw-bar is attached to the car by a bolt F, Fig. 1whiel1 passes through the drawbar A and through the follower-plates n; and spring The bolt is fastened by a key back of the follower-plates.

The plates w 'zu are held in position or from being pulled out by solid east-iron Vdraft-timber lugs E. (See Figs. l and S.) These lugs are made with a projecting stud l, Fig. 8, near each end on the back ot' lug, which extends the width of the lugs. They are to be set into the draft-timbers, and are also provided with projecting studs or ears 2b on the front., near each end, that extend the width of the lug. On these the following irons bear. The ears have a hole 3l through tliein for a bolt that holds a strap that extends from one ear to the other. (Strap not shown.) rIhe pocketstrap is to hold the follower-irons from talling down out of the draft-tiinber lugs. The lugs also have five holes 4", through which four lug-bolts and one span-bolt are passed into the d1al`;t-ti1nl')er, to hold the lugs to place and keep the draft-timbers from spreading apart. A lug of this construction adds to the strength of timber, and will not twist nor shear the bolts when coming in sudden Contact with other cars. l

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, in a self-couplingl safety draw-bar, of a main casting A, having coupling-lu gs and grooved guides on the sides of casting', the coupling-arms B B, which have a regular curved bearing in the casting A, and coupling-jaws ff, all substantially as set forth.

In a selooupling safety draw-bar, the

combination of the release-cylinders and lever-rod attachinei'itwith the adjustingsprings I I, for the adjustment of the coupling-arms, the chains, and the coupling-arms, substantially as described.

ROBERT II. STAPP.

Witnesses: i

JOHN D. KING,

J. P. BRoUGH. 

